James R Smith Family Foundation
The James R Smith Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Roanoke, Virginia. In 2024, it made grants to charitable organizations, with the largest shares of grant dollars going to recipients in North Carolina and Virginia.
James R Smith Family Foundation at a glance
In short: James R Smith Family Foundation gave $422K across 24 grants in 2024 (avg $18K), mostly in North Carolina. 63% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $422,200
- +240.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 24
- +50.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $17,592
- +127.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $9,000
- Total assets
- $9,437,482
- -0.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 63% first-time grantees (15 of 24, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (68% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to James R Smith Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 8938, Roanoke, VA 24014
Phone: (540) 774-7762
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who James R Smith Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Clear Water Foundation ($210K). Together the top 10 received $370K.
Grant Size Distribution
82 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 80 grants of 82 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, recipients in North Carolina received 68% of grant dollars, Virginia recipients 13%, South Carolina recipients 11%, Kentucky recipients 6%, and West Virginia recipients 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 24 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is James R Smith Family Foundation open to new grantees?
63%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 15 of 24 grantees (63%) were first-time recipients. With only 24 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $24K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 38% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 256% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 67% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $114K (2022) to $1.3M (2020). In 2024 it made 24 grants totaling $422K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Clear Water Foundation Charlotte, NC | General Unrestricted Support | $210,000 |
| Baptists on Mission Cary, NC | General Unrestricted Support | $25,000 |
| Presbyterian Church USA Louisville, KY | General Unrestricted Support | $25,000 |
| United Way of Asheville Buncombe Co Asheville, NC | General Unrestricted Support | $25,000 |
| VTC School of Medicine Roanoke, VA | General Unrestricted Support | $20,000 |
| Ashley Hall Charleston, SC | General Unrestricted Support | $15,500 |
| CFWNC Ashville, NC | General Unrestricted Support | $15,000 |
| First Scots Presbyterian Church Charleston, SC | General Unrestricted Support | $12,000 |
| The Preservation Society of Charles Charleston, SC | General Unrestricted Support | $11,000 |
| Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity Asheville, NC | General Unrestricted Support | $11,000 |
Ready to take the next step with James R Smith Family Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $9,437,482 | $486,916 | $547,134 | $422,200 | 24 | $422,200 | $360,982 | $626,244 |
| 2023 | $9,492,082 | $242,410 | $239,861 | $123,900 | 16 | $129,335 | $135,171 | $594,314 |
| 2022 | $9,689,881 | $680,109 | $230,212 | $113,850 | 16 | $128,860 | $590,197 | $556,027 |
| 2021 | $9,789,984 | $536,078 | $240,113 | $118,600 | 11 | $133,322 | $430,287 | $559,065 |
| 2020 | $9,893,685 | $281,387 | $1,502,736 | $1,331,625 | 15 | — | $54,359 | $506,258 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, James R Smith Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $626K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for varied organizations. For example, Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity says its mission is to bring people together to build homes, communities, and hope. The Virginia Public Access Project says it works to make information about Virginia politics and government accessible and nonpartisan. Wounded Warrior Project describes its work as supporting the well-being of post-9/11 wounded, ill, and injured veterans, service members, and their families. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 24 grants totaling $422,200. Grants ranged from $500 to $210,000, with a median grant of $9,000. Most of the largest listed grants were designated for general unrestricted support. Recipients included Clear Water Foundation ($210,000), Baptists on Mission ($25,000), Presbyterian Church USA ($25,000), United Way of Asheville Buncombe Co ($25,000), and VTC School of Medicine ($20,000).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Hunter D Smith and Ross P Smith as trustees.
James R Smith Family Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Hunter D. Smith
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ross P. Smith
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Meeks Company PLC (2020) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about James R Smith Family Foundation
How much does James R Smith Family Foundation give each year?
James R Smith Family Foundation gave $422K across 24 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $124K across 16 grants.
What is James R Smith Family Foundation's typical grant size?
James R Smith Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $9,000, and its average grant was $17,592, across 24 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from James R Smith Family Foundation that year got $24K on average.
Where does James R Smith Family Foundation give grants?
James R Smith Family Foundation gives mostly in North Carolina: 68% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Virginia (13%) and South Carolina (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Charleston, SC (4 grants), Roanoke, VA (4 grants) and Asheville, NC (2 grants).
Does James R Smith Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of James R Smith Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (24 of 24) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are James R Smith Family Foundation's largest grantees?
James R Smith Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Clear Water Foundation ($210,000), Baptists on Mission ($25,000) and Presbyterian Church USA ($25,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 62% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is James R Smith Family Foundation?
James R Smith Family Foundation reported $9.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $422K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $626K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does James R Smith Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for varied organizations. For example, Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity says its mission is to bring people together to build homes, communities, and hope. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from James R Smith Family Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is James R Smith Family Foundation's EIN?
James R Smith Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-6577908. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does James R Smith Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). James R Smith Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/james-r-smith-family-foundation-morg_0ff793decc154267a7173c347073732a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_566577908_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{James R Smith Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/james-r-smith-family-foundation-morg_0ff793decc154267a7173c347073732a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from James R Smith Family Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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